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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. craft — boats
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. fall — to drop
  8. press — newspapers
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. fall — the season
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. wound — an injury
  14. press — to push
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. fall — to drop
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. lie — to recline
  20. press — a publisher
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. craft — a skill
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. wound — an injury

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com